Crewe Alexandra 9
Nantwich Town 0
Cheshire Senior Cup (Preliminary Round)

Match Report

CREWE'S mix of promising youngsters and first-team fringe players waltzed past a spirited Nantwich challenge in their Cheshire Senior
Cup preliminary round tie.
A strong Alex side underlined their credentials with an assertive display all over the field.
The front four of Colin Little, Colin Cramb, John Grant and Peter Smith, all boasting first division experience, supplied six of the goals between them, with Grant's spectacular overhead kick the pick of the bunch.
Nantwich's attitude and commitment were a credit to them.
Not once did they resort to a physical approach in a bid to bridge the gap and they continued to try and play attractive football throughout.
New manager Dave Cooke has pieced together a young side who are still getting to know each other, but they might well have found their way on to the scoresheet but for a marvellous reflex save from Kevin Welsby which denied Jon Dawson.
Crewe's greater fitness told with five of the goals coming in the final 20 minutes and, but for an excellent demonstration of shot-stopping from Stuart Heeps, the Railwaymen might have notched up double figures.
It was good experience for the lads and I was pleased with the way they conducted themselves because it was always going to be difficult, said Cooke.
Crewe will now host Chester in the next round.
‘I'm sure Chester will want to come and prove a point and we know we will have to play well to beat them,’ said Neil Baker, who is taking charge of the team for the Cheshire Senior Cup.
‘Northwich came here a couple of years ago and gave us a good hiding, and last year a young Macclesfield side were too strong for us, so we know what we might expect.
'I think our fans will have enjoyed this game and players like Dean Howell and Steve Foster are continuing to mature.
Nantwich got a little bit over-rawed but they tried to play properly and didn't kick us.’

Crewe goalscorers:
Little 13, 83
Cramb 31, 79
Liddle 38, 72
Grant 49
Hall (og) 88
Smith 90

Pictured: Crewe's Peter Smith takes on Nantwich's Brendan Hennessy

Match report written by The Chronicle